November is a month of gratitude highlighted by Thanksgiving. While it is easy to be critical of government, we believe it is important to also highlight the good things happening here and with government.

We live in a great place; our problems here are a result of the positive things happening in this community. Affordable housing and traffic congestion problems are a result of people moving here and wanting to move here. We are thankful for our law enforcement officers in our cities, county, and schools who do an excellent job keeping us safe. We know that when traffic is our biggest law enforcement complaint, that violent crime is low and people feel safe.

We are thankful to our voters for the conservation of our lands in Sarasota County. While our affordable housing problem lies in the lack of inventory and the cost of land, the fact that the county has one-third of its property owned by the government, much of it due to conservation, means generations will have natural lands to enjoy. This year marks the 25-year anniversary of the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program, and 42,000 acres of land have been protected through land purchases and conservation easements under that program.

We are grateful for overall responsible fiscal management, even in light of the 2022 hurricane and the multiple hurricanes of 2024. The county's outstanding general obligation rating is 'AAA' and the county's Issuer Default Rating is 'AAA,' representing the lowest expectation of default risk according to Fitch. We have a 'Stable' rating outlook in spite of what we have faced from mother nature, painting an overall picture of financial health for the county.

We appreciate the elected local commissioners for their time-consuming service and dedication—commissioners who return calls after hours, who go to public events early in the morning and late at night, who endure some of the uncivil public vitriol by those who disagree with their decisions. For the most part, they make decisions they believe in, knowing that any decision will upset half the people affected.

We are grateful for the government employees who make our community work, who respond to concerns about maintenance and repairs, and are there when we have medical emergencies. These are the people that teach our kids, who oversee summer camps and recreation, who make sure our beaches are clean and rescue us when we need it. They give us access to water—to drink, use, and play on. They plan our future infrastructure and try to beautify our county.

There is a lot to be grateful for in this county, and our assets far outweigh the problems, many of which are created by our successes. As we gather around tables this Thanksgiving, let us remember that a thriving community is built not just by leaders and policies, but by every person who chooses to see the good, contribute to solutions, and appreciate the dedicated individuals working to make Sarasota County a better place for all of us.

Christine Robinson, Executive Director of The Argus Foundation.